Physical Therapy Stretches for Back Pain

After 9 years working in physical therapy, I’ve learned that I love treating back pain. Below are some of the stretches that I’ve found to be most effective for reducing and avoiding back pain. Each exercise targets the 3 most important areas, the upper back, lower back, and hips. Read to the end for stretching parameters and a video!

Stretches for back pain: upper back

Why stretch your upper back even if you have pain in your lower back? Your upper back is like the middle man in a transaction. You have to keep them happy to keep everyone involved happy and for a stellar deal to occur!

If your upper back doesn’t move well, it can cause strain in both your neck and low back. This is why I recommend starting with the upper back. You can stretch other areas but until the upper back is moving well the other parts of your spine will keep experiencing strain. Below are 2 of my favorite upper back stretches to relieve back pain.

Foam roll thoracic extension – place a foam roll on your back near your shoulder blades. Keep your hips on the ground. Rock back until you feel a gentle stretch. If your upper back is very tight, you may unconsciously arch your lower back. Keep your core tight to avoid this.

Thread the needle – start on your hands and knees. Reach under your opposite arm, then come up and reach toward the sky. Put your hand behind your head as you reach for extra stretch.

Stretches for back pain: lower back

This section contains my absolute favorite stretch for back pain, the press up! I’ve struggled with back pain on and off for several years and this stretch has been the most effective stretch for me. (Although I have recently learned that I need to spend more time stretching my upper back for the reasons stated above).

Press up – my favorite back stretch of all time! Lay on your belly and press through your hands extending your back. Keep your hips down as much as possible. I recommend starting with your hands above your head and then gradually move them closer to under your shoulders as you perform reps.

Open book – this is a gentle stretch into rotation. Lay on your side with your top leg bent and your bottom leg straight. Rotate behind you. Note: to target your low back, perform like this. To target your upper back bend both knees.

Stretches for back pain: hips

Hip stretching is often where people start to stretch when they have back pain. This is likely because of “piriformis syndrome” and “sciatica.” But pain in your hip or leg that is referred from your spine won’t improve until you address the spine. That being said, hip stretching can help improve back pain. But it’s not where I recommend starting.

Kneeling hip flexor stretch: kneel with one leg up. Squeeze your butt on the side of the knee that is on the ground. Gently push your hip forward until you feel a stretch directly in the front of your hip on that same side.

Figure 4 glute stretch: cross one ankle over the opposite knee. Bring that knee closer to you bending your hip until you feel a stretch on the opposite side.

Back and hip stretching parameters for reducing pain

Usually when we are stretching our spine, our goal is to get the joints of the spine moving. We actually aren’t stretching muscles. (Fore more on mobility vs. stretching see this post).

Because we are targeting joints when we do the upper and lower back stretches, I recommend doing repetitions instead of holding the stretches. For example, move into and out of the stretch at a steady tempo thinking “pressure on, pressure off.”

When we stretch muscles, we typically want to hold the stretches to allow the muscles to relax into the lengthened position. Because we are targeting muscles with the hip stretches, get into the position until you feel a gentle stretch and hold this position for 30 seconds. Think, “pressure on, hold.”

I made a video of these stretches!

If a picture is worth 1,000 words, a video is worth even more! Be sure to follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube so you can see all my videos!

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Disclaimer: These strategies are not a substitute for full medical evaluation. You should consult your doctor if you are experiencing any new pain. If any of these strategies sound especially helpful for you, be sure to discuss with your doctor the best way to implement them into your health plan. There is also significant benefit to having a full movement assessment performed. I recommend asking your doctor about seeing a physical therapist!